chemical imbalance

English

Etymology

The sense "mental illness" is due to the fact that some mental illnesses are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.

Noun

chemical imbalance (plural chemical imbalances)

1. Used other than as an idiom: see chemical,‎ imbalance.
2. (euphemistic) Mental illness.
   • 2009, Warden, Rob and Drizin, Steven, True Stories of False Confessions, ISBN 0810126036, page 28:

     Anyone who knew him well would suspect he had a chemical imbalance. He had been unhappy recently. And there was a history of suicide in the family; his mother had tried to kill herself.

Related terms

• chemically imbalanced

Translations